Chinook opening on the Fraser???

[wapiti]

Does anyone know if sport fishing for springs is opening on the Fraser on June 15th, like it was planned? If it is, are there gear restrictions-ie. bar fishing only, no bottom bouncing, etc? :confused:

[browningboy]

I heard that it is to be a total closure to salmon, but who knows?

[spock]

I looked on the dfo website today and it said that the chinook were open in the non-tidal areas of the fraser in region two from Jun 16 -
Aug 8. They said the returns of early fish had been extremely low and they wanted to get as many big spawners on the spawning grounds as possible so they were instituting a slot size limit of between 62 and 77 cm.

[Leaseman]

Springs are open.....30cm to 77cm......who else reads this as a disaster? Should be an interesting fishery, with probabbly more than 50% of the springs caught, that I see, are all over the 77cm mark.... that is only 30 inches + a bit.... equals what, 12-15 lb. fish?

Mike

[Wildman]

I wouldn't mind seeing the Fraser closed all together in hopes that the fishery will rebound. That being said, I don't know much about the commercial fishery or what that would mean to the people that fish the Fraser. Therefore, that is my ignorant conclusion for now.

[spock]

I won't be participating in this fishery for one thing the returns are already quite low so the chance of hooking something is not great, secondly I think the only reason it got opened was because of pressure from all the guys with a jet boat that became guides in the last 8 or 9 years. I'll be leaving these fish alone. In the preseason estimate dfo was anticipating a good return of south thompson fish that come in later in the summer if that run shows up half decent and they lift the size restriction I might go out.

[Jetboater]

I won't be participating in this fishery for one thing the returns are already quite low so the chance of hooking something is not great, secondly I think the only reason it got opened was because of pressure from all the guys with a jet boat that became guides in the last 8 or 9 years. I'll be leaving these fish alone. In the preseason estimate dfo was anticipating a good return of south thompson fish that come in later in the summer if that run shows up half decent and they lift the size restriction I might go out.


Pretty Naive comments IMHO.... I dont get whay we constantly have to drag down guides as the bad people... if DFO feels like an opening is warranted they will give it despite any pressure...

at least we get to catch the fish that made it throught the FN nets...

[spock]

Didn't say anything about guides being bad people, all I said is that a lot of people got into it investing big money into jet boats expecting to be able to get a return on it. I think that if you look at dfo management on either coast they're always worried about upsetting one apple cart or another and that is why we've got this going after diminishing returns mindset to keep people happy until there is nothing left. Just look at the atlantic cod.